Francisco Cristina on SoundBetter

I'm a newcomer who's ready to work on various types of media content - always delivering a creative, dynamic and quality service. Because I'm still looking to prove myself, I have lower rates. However, if you hire me, you'll be getting someone who's meticulous, hard-working and who will do whatever it takes to meet your expectations - and beyond!

I'm currently providing two main services:

MIXING: A crucial step where the possibilites are endless, and where you truly shape the sound of everything. While mixing, I always try to combine two major aspects: the creative side and the technical side. It's not easy to be creative and create something original, but it's even harder to do that while trying to achieve a technically balanced and good mix, in terms of frequencies and levels. I'm experienced in working with low budget recordings; I've come across a lot of messed up tracks and I've made them work. If that's your case, I'm always up to discuss how much I think I can fix or work around.

EDITING: Not all of us are world-class musicians who can "get it done" in one take. That's OK, I can help you sound like one. Editing may not sound like the most exciting part of making a song - it isn't - but what a difference it does in the end. It's one of those things you don't want to think about when listening to the final mix, because once you notice that drum hit out of place, or that vocal note that simply doesn't feel right... But editing is so much more than covering mess-ups. It's the tool that brings together your whole song, building the overall vibe and just making it sound right. Editing is a major step in getting your song to the next level, to the "radio ready" stage.

Send me a note through the contact button above.

7 Reviews

Endorse Francisco Cristina

by Akbar R.
Verified
Francisco is very easy to work with. He remains focused on understanding the kind of sound you are looking for and is always open to feedback and discussion. His deliveries are always on schedule and he takes you through his thought processes while working on your music. I have utmost regards for his professional conduct.
by Anton L.
Verified
It was a pleasure working with Francisco. He was easy to communicate with and did everything he could to meet my expectations. He is also a drummer and can record and mix a drum track from scratch. If you both look in the same direction he can make your mix sound as good as your recorded tracks allow.

Thank you, Francisco.
by Carlos Miguel de Mira Pires
Francisco... A very talented drummer and musician overall... He worked on my studio as engineer...Great great job, and a very nice guy... He"s also a great producer on his own things.... Conclusion.... A man with a great future ... And a respectable present already.... Not so good like lead singer :-) ...
by Orlando Costa
While he worked on my studio, Francisco's attitude and behavior were impeccable. He has a bright future ahead of him.
by Keeley James
Francisco remixed one of my songs a couple of months ago. He did a great job, I was so impressed! He was really inventive and gave it a complete new twist. I highly recommend him!!
by Diogo Corisco Ribeiro
Francisco Cristina, is the man.
I worked with this guy for 2 years, it's a great professional, really creative and he plays drums, respect for that!!
He was the man behind my band productions on 3 different EP's, and just Killed it!
by Diogo
I work with this guys a few months and he his very good, I bet that no one will ever regret to work with him, he is also a great musician!

Interview with Francisco Cristina

Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?
A: My background comes from being a 13-year drummer. That's how I got into music. A few years ago, after many years of playing live, working and writing with a lot of different projects and recording a few EP's, I finally got my home studio. Since I was now able to do my own recordings and experiments, I figured I needed to learn more about the craft. I took a 3-month course on a professional music studio, where I learned most of the basics and realized how much I liked this world. I frequented a Music Technologies college course (on Lisbon's Superior Music School) and I've also completed the Berklee Online's course "Art of Mixing". I also have a 2-year experience working on a professional music studio (LxPro, in Lisbon), where I worked as a producer and recording engineer. It was there where I gave my first steps in the professional world, gained a lot of experience and was able to work with a few different styles. Despite having a few projects from those 2 years that I'm proud of my contribution and like how they turned out, I decided not to use any of them in my portfolio, since they don't truly reflect my approach and vision, but rather the approach and vision of all people involved. I decided to use instead some of the projects I mixed and mastered on the Berklee's course, since I'm responsible for every decision and aspect on those.
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: I've already worked with a considerable range of different styles, from Pop and Pop-Rock to Country (make sure you check my portfolio). I'm also feel very comfortable working with Rock and Punk, because of my personal music taste.
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: My creativity and need of always try to create something original, refreshing and unpredictable. I truly believe that that's what gives your song a chance to be noticed and leave a mark in whoever listens to it.
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: First, I like to focus on the technical side. Listen to every track in detail, look for things to correct or adjust. I always try to be as accurate as possible and spend as much time as needed until I'm happy with every tone and level. Only then, when everything starts to fit together, I start thinking of ways to invigorate the mix, give it something special and make it shine. It's usually a combination of ideas I get from other songs I use as reference and ideas that naturally pop in my head. My main goal is to have strong mixes both technically and creatively, so I'm always dividing my attention between the two sides until everything starts coming together. I'm a perfectionist, so in my mixes there's always room to improvement. The deadlines (which I'm more than determined to meet) and your feedback are going to help me getting faster to the final result.
Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: To name some bands (focusing on the music production side): Foo Fighters, Green Day, Bon Jovi, blink-182. To name some producers: Chris Lord-Alge, Jerry Finn, Butch Vig, Rob Cavallo.
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: Digital Mixer: PRESONUS StudioLive 16.0.2 | DAW: STUDIO ONE 3 Professional | Speakers: YAMAHA HS5
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: Mixing is the main type of work I've been doing, experimenting with, studying, and the one I most look for doing here in SoundBetter. I also like to master all my mixes, since I see it as the final step of the mixing process, so I also have some considerable experience mastering.